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Felix tunes up with seven Minor League innings

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Felix's scoreless start 1:15

3/4/14: Felix Hernandez pitches two innings and tallies a strikeout against the Dodgers

By Greg Johns
/
MLB.com |

MESA, Ariz. -- Mariners ace Felix Hernandez allowed three runs (two earned) over seven innings in a Minor League game against the Brewers on Thursday as he continues tuning up for his Opening Day start.

Hernandez threw 82 pitches, of which 60 were strikes. He gave up five hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

The veteran right-hander said he was happy with his work against an aggressive group of young hitters, who, he said, swung at the first pitch in almost every at-bat.

"It was good. Real good," Hernandez said. "Everything was working. I was throwing a lot of strikes. They were swinging at everything."

Hernandez chose to pitch against the Brewers' Class A Advanced team at the Peoria Sports Complex rather than travel to Mesa for the Mariners' Cactus League contest with the Cubs. He'll make his final spring start Tuesday against the Rangers in Surprise and said he's on schedule to throw 100 pitches in that game before facing the Angels in Anaheim on March 31 in his club-record seventh Opening Day outing.

"I felt pretty strong," Hernandez said. "I was down the zone and happy with myself."

Lucas Luetge and Charlie Furbush each threw scoreless innings in relief of Hernandez, while catcher Mike Zunino went 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored while catching the first seven innings.